Over-hyped technobabble or a competitive tool for business?
Third-generation wireless technology will be a hot topic at the coming Alberta/Finland 2001 wireless symposium at the University of Calgary, and at least one keynote speaker believes Canada can’t afford to be left behind as the technology rolls out over the next three years.
But Stephanie Perrin, director of wireless solutions for Compaq Canada, also believes that 3G has to be de-mystified so consumers can understand its potential benefits.
“We need to stop using buzzwords,” she says. “3G has been in the press, but if I stop the average man on the street, he’d have no clue what I was talking about.”
But if you ask the same consumer if he would like his mobile phone to be more reliable with access to services including video conferencing, it will likely elicit a positive response, she adds.
“Let’s take wireless away from being an alphabet soup,” urges Perrin, who points out that third-generation wireless simply means a faster mobile network that can carry enriched data.
Perrin, who was posted to Canada last year after overseeing Compaq’s wireless group in Europe, says this country also faces a huge geographical challenge in adapting the new technology on an equitable basis. “Because Canada is such a massive territory, the only thing the carriers can cost-justify is city coverage and some of the key corridors between high-traffic routes like between Calgary and Edmonton,” she says.
“Are the carriers going to provide sufficient coverage for people to develop the habits of accessing data as a day-to-day activity?”
While it’s not a big stretch for current mobile phone customers to want to access more data from the same personal device, many are waiting for a compelling application — a must-have multimedia feature or suite of applications that will justify the cost.
Compaq, for example, has identified the 14-21 youth segment to provide a strong customer base for emerging wireless applications. For the business market, they’re focusing on three sectors which she says promise a solid return on investment, including financial services, health care and pharmaceuticals, and transportation services.
Perrin is among an international slate of speakers and wireless industry leaders planning to attend the Sept. 6 conference, co-chaired by Judith Romanchuk, the Calgary-based honorary council for Finland, and David Saunders, the U of C’s dean of the Faculty of Management.
Innovation and Science Minister Victor Doerksen will open the symposium with a look at the province’s investment in wireless technology infrastructure.
Delegates will also hear from Kari-Pekka Wilska, Nokia’s president of the Americas, and listen to a panel of leading wireless players including Cell-Loc president and CEO Michel Fattouche.
Business Edge is the media sponsor for the one-day event, which will be held at the U of C’s Rosza Centre.
For more information about the Alberta/Finland 2001: Wireless Symposium program and registration, call 1-800-465-9670 (ext. 501) or visit: www.calgarywireless2001.com/
